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Can You Get Depression During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is supposed to be one of the most amazing, happy experiences for a woman to go through, and when this is the case, it really and truly is wonderful.

Sometimes, however, this is not the case. Sometimes a pregnancy might not go as positively or smoothly as we would like. For 1 in 10 pregnant women, the emotions the come with being pregnant can become overwhelming and hard to shift. If these overwhelming emotional changes last longer than two weeks and interfere with the pregnant woman’s ability to function in everyday life, then they are not considered normal changes.

Every year in Ireland, 7,500 women experience depression throughout their pregnancy or experience antenatal depression. And these are only the women who are diagnosed. Antenatal depression is sometimes overlook, because it is particularly hard to diagnose and it's not understood as well as postnatal depression.

Causes

Changes in oestrogen and progesterone contribute to mood changes early in pregnancy

Financial worries

Uncertainty about the timing of being pregnant

Being worried about the movement and health of the baby or lack thereof

Emotions can be unstable, and feelings of low mood are not uncommon such as anxiety, hopelessness, fear and sadness.

Many women feel confused about struggling with sadness when they feel they should be happy they are having a baby

May feel moody, impatient or irritable, feel restless, have trouble concentrating and suffer from insomnia.

Minor problems may cause a great deal of worry and feeling anxious.

Appetite may increase or decrease

Feeling totally exhausted and having no motivation to do anything.

Feeling emotionally numb

Avoiding social contact and isolating oneself

Feeling suicidal or planning your suicide

The important thing to remember is, if you are experiencing these symptoms - You are not alone and it really is okay to talk about it. Early treatment when experiencing depression during pregnancy is the best recovery option and treatment will help to reduce the risk of developing postnatal depression./

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms please contact our mental health partner, Nurture. You can contact Nurture on 01 8430930.

With professional help, a woman can feel well again. There is a sense of hope and light at the end of the tunnel.